Surface Extraction
In 1913, Dr. S.C. Ells, an engineer with the federal department of mines, began investigating the economic possibilities of the oils sands. It was then that the idea of using the sands as road paving material was born. In 1915, Dr. Ells laid three road surfaces on sections of 82nd Street in Edmonton. Materials used included bitulithic, bituminous concrete and sheet asphalt mixtures. A report, ten years later, by a city engineer stated that the surface remained in excellent condition. McMurray asphalt also saw use on the grounds of the Alberta Legislature, on the highway in Jasper Park and elsewhere in Alberta.
Although private contractors also mined oil sand as a paving material, the proposition was not economic. Fort McMurray (the village closest to the near-surface deposits) was small and far from market, and transportation costs were high.
Read more about this topic: History Of The Petroleum Industry In Canada (oil Sands And Heavy Oil)
Famous quotes containing the words surface and/or extraction:
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